Somebody
by kateums
Summary: Miranda Sanchez, a 20-year-old single mother with a waitressing job, is convinced that love is not worth her time. Larry Tudgeman, a 24-year-old chef who lives alone, is tired of love passing him by. Will they be able to find something in each other? M


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Disclaimer: Lizzie Mcguire and anything related to Lizzie Mcguire do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing and returning like a nice kid with a library card.

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A/N: Sometimes love finds you in the most unusual circumstances, and that somebody you were looking for was right in front of you all along. That sentence was uttered by a friend of mine after we saw Reba McEntire's "Somebody" video , and is what this story is based upon.

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SOMEBODY

Prologue:

"You're…pregnant."

His voice was flat and devoid of any emotion, so Miranda was unable to even make a guess as to how he was feeling about her announcement.

"You're…pregnant," he said again, almost as if he was having trouble getting the words to sink in and become coherent in his mind.

Miranda nervously twisted the hem of her T-shirt around her finger as she waited for an actual reaction from her boyfriend of ten months. She had told him the news almost fifteen minutes ago, and he had yet to make it known to Miranda exactly how he felt about it.

"You're…preg --"

"Damn it!" Miranda exclaimed, cutting him off in mid-sentence. "Yes, I'm pregnant! I think you and I both realize that by now!"

Miranda's words seemed to snap him out of his blank state. "I -- I'm not sure what to say, Miranda," he said after a moment of silence. His face was now screwed up into a look of confusion.

"Say _anything_ at all!" Miranda begged, reaching to take his hand in hers. "Look, I know this is a shock to you -- it was to me, too -- but I just need to know that you'll be here for me!"

He stared at her for a moment, then pulled his hand away. It was a move that shattered Miranda's heart into a thousand irreparable pieces.

"I love you, Miranda," he began, clearly uncomfortable with the present situation. "I really do…. But I don't think this is something that I can handle."

Miranda stared, wide-eyed. "What do you mean, you don't think this is something that you can handle?" she demanded, her voice fierce.

"Just what I said," he replied. "It's not everyday that a guy's girlfriend tells him that she's pregnant, you know."

"Yeah, and it's not everyday that a girl tells her boyfriend that she's pregnant!" Miranda retorted. "I just want to know -- are you going to be here for me?"

He hesitated, biting his lip. "I need time to think about this, Miranda."

Miranda swallowed, trying to stop herself from breaking into tears right then and there. It was obvious to her that he wasn't going to be behind her, that he wasn't going to be there for her, that he wasn't going to stay with her and help her support and raise their child.

"I have so many dreams, Miranda," he said, as if it sufficed as an explanation. "Don't you understand that a baby would ruin those dreams?"

"What about my dreams?" Miranda cried. "Don't my dreams matter to you at all?"

He stared at her, and Miranda could detect confusion, compassion, love, and indecision in his eyes.

There was a long pause during which Miranda struggled to hold back her tears. In her heart, she knew what his response was going to be, but she couldn't help but hold onto the last glimpses of hope that maybe -- just maybe -- he wouldn't leave her side.

Despite the fact that Miranda already knew what was coming, that didn't prevent his words from stinging like daggers to her heart.

"This is just too much to handle right now, Miranda," he said, hesitating slightly as he spoke. "We haven't even started college yet. We haven't even graduated high school yet! A baby will just ruin everything…."

Miranda closed her eyes as a single tear slipped between her lashes, traveling an unforaged path down her pale cheek.

He reached for her hand, but she jerked it away.

"Miranda…."

"_Don't!_ Just stop! Just leave me alone!" Miranda screamed, furious at his response.

Pain suddenly became the reigning emotion on his face. "Miranda," he tried again, his voice urgent. He made his way over to her, attempting to wrap his arms around her in a tight embrace.

"Don't touch me, damn it!" Miranda yelled again. "Don't come near me, don't look at me, don't talk to me, don't touch me ever again! I hate you!"

"Please, Miranda," he pleaded, the tiniest trace of tears shining in his eyes.

Miranda almost softened at the sight of the immense sadness on his face, but she didn't relent. "Get out of here. I never, ever, want to talk to you again. Just leave me alone."

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking as he spoke.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" she screeched, ignoring his apology.

Sadly, he made his way out of the bedroom, leaving the love of his life behind -- forever.

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A/N: Since this was just the prologue, it was fairly short. Subsequent chapters will most likely be much longer.

Btw, I purposely left the name of Miranda's boyfriend undisclosed. It's not important to the plot of the story, so I didn't want to go to the trouble of even thinking up a name. ;)


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